Executives

Sages President Newsletter June 2017

PRESIDENTS NEWSLETTER

June 2017

Dear Fellow SAGES

It is refreshing to meet a new SAGE in a tournament and to discover how much pleasure he or she gets out of playing with SAGES from different branches. We must never under-value the benefits of membership of SAGES.

As senior golf can lead to sloppy thinking about the rules of golf and their application, it is pleasing to see the focus in the branch newsletters on educating our members on golf rules. Keep it up. We must not allow our commitment to the rules and etiquette of the game to diminish.

National Tournaments

The “Nationals” have come and gone. Thank you Zululand SAGES for undertaking this huge task. Everyone enjoyed the courses and were grateful that the rain only disrupted part of the last day. Those branches that have hosted a national tournament will know how many hours are involved and how few compliments are received.

At the AGM an ad hoc committee of 4 “wise men” were appointed to advise the National Committee on ways and means of improving the national tournament. It is getting expensive to attend, and it may be a good idea to rethink the duration and the format of the tournament. Our national secretary will help co-ordinate the working of this committee. Should you have brilliant ideas, you are most welcome to forward your pearls of wisdom to Elfie or me.

Membership

If SAGES, our stature as a senior golfing organisation grows, we can negotiate better deals for our tournaments. Our goal is to have 3200 SAGES members by 31/12/2020. New members do not walk in the front door – they become members because some SAGE recognised suitable values in their candidate and then invite him or her to join. Look at your golfing friends in your club or in other clubs, invite them to a SAGES game. Use your CANSA golf day to invite a bunch of candidates. I am asking each SAGE to find a new member or two

Handicap Manipulation

The rules of golf make it very clear that each golfer is the primary judge of possible breaches of the rules in his play, and that his score, as agreed with his marker, is entered into the handicapping system timeously. It is unacceptable to forget good scores deliberately, to enter incorrect gross scores or incorrect standard tee ratings or to enter fictitious scores. It is unacceptable to deliberately play some holes poorly if your better-ball partner is doing well.

In a round of golf, the idea is to beat your handicap, which should be an accurate reflection of your golfing ability, and not to MANAGE your handicap (to gain an unfair advantage).

A true golfer is offended when markers overlook transgressions of the rules, when golf

clubs do not act firmly against habitual offenders who do not enforce swiping of HNA

cards before the game. I therefore ask:-

1. That each branch ensures that golf clubs swipe our cards before any SAGES tournament. Put pressure on those golf clubs from refraining to swiping the cards as their accounting system does not cater for your negotiated rate.

That branches that organize inter-branch tournaments keep a record of the players, their branch, with their handicaps, HNA numbers and adjusted gross scores. It will assist in monitoring compliance where there is no swiping.

With snow on the mountains of the Cape and KZN, and with only a few drops of water

left in our dams, we are being forced to drink red wine in front of the stove at night. Keep your beanies on and keep your head down if playing in these icy conditions..

Peet RoetsSAGES National PresidentThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Stuur jul insette asb direk aan This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. We willgladly publish your newsletters (see the Newsletters link at the top of the page) .

For further SAGES information or queries please contact the National SecretaryElfie Alston, Cell phone 082 775 0827, e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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